With Coordinator Aaron Rongen leaving, the county's 4-H program is now searching for his replacement after getting the official go-ahead from the Polk County Board of Commissioners. The program will be left without a coordinator for a period of time, however, since Rongen's last day, Feb. 26, is quickly approaching and the process has just begun.
The Tuesday board meeting was held in the ground floor conference room of the government center due to remodeling in the building, which will take about a month, that has the recorder's office doing its business from the second-floor board room.
Director Deb Zak and Educator Bob Quinlan from the Regional Extension office, along with Pat Erickson, a Polk County 4-H leader and Extension Committee member, met with commissioners to discuss the program and position. Quinlan said it will take around two months to fill the position, with the County Extension Committee at the center of the hiring process and University of Minnesota Extension doing the initial application screening and giving final approval.
“I've met with Aaron and Donna Rae (Carlson, county office manager) and I'm aware of all the programming in place here, so my role is to fill the gap,” he said. Quinlan works extensively with 4-H throughout the region and, prior to joining the regional office, coordinated Polk County's 4-H program.
Change in qualifications
When Rongen, praised as a valuable asset who will be missed, applied for the job back in 2006, Quinlan explained, applicants needed either a bachelor's degree or four years experience – volunteer or work – in a related field such as education or social work.
“It was apparent then that they were going to change it,” he said, which the U of M did a few months later. The position now requires a bachelor's degree, but Rongen was grandfathered in.
“If somebody applies and has no bachelor’s degree, he or she won’t make it past the screening process,” Zak added. “We at the county and regional level won't even see the application.”
Some commissioners expressed their displeasure with this requirement.
“Donna Rae has all the qualifications to run 4-H program,” said Warren Affeldt. “She doesn’t have the degree but has many, many years of experience. She's been very instrumental in the 4-H program. I think she should at least be considered for the job. The University is making a big mistake by excluding very qualified people from the hiring process.”
“I agree,” Craig Buness said. “Qualifications are nice, but when you have a proven player locally, that goes a long way in our county.”
When asked if she could talk to the state office about allowing an exception to the rule, Zak replied that it's highly unlikely this would change anything. Carlson's position is extremely important to 4-H, she stressed, as she provides “very strong administrative support we can't do without.”
“There are reasons for the requirement,” Quinlan said. “The nature of the position requires a great deal of background knowledge.”
Both Zak and Quinlan acknowledged the possibility that getting a strong applicant pool might be a bit difficult, since the position is 80 percent time. However, the U of M, which pays salary, based on qualifications, and benefits for the position, offers full benefits at 75 percent time, said Zak, which is what many applicants are more concerned about. The county contracts with the U of M for the position each year, she added, so the salary won't immediately affect the county's cost.
Becker County was in a similar position last year, Zak explained, and after reviewing the program and job description managed to find a highly skilled person, a 4-H parent with 19 years of experience with the program.
“This hire will be a very important one to Polk County 4-H,” Commissioner Bill Montague said. “The next year will determine if the qualification thing works for us.”
Valuable program
Zak gave some numbers from last year on Polk County's 4-H program: 155 members belonged to eight clubs throughout the county, although the program served more than 1,500 children through after school and summer programs; and approximately 60 adult volunteers provided many hours of assistance.
Montague said he was concerned about the relatively small number of kids involved in the clubs and if that warrants funding an 80 percent position.
“Overall, we've certainly seen some growth and enthusiasm in our programming,” said Quinlan. “Aaron has been working in partnership with schools, park and rec programs, and special focus programs like Farm Safety Day, making connections with kids who don't belong to organized clubs but are still affected by 4-H.”
While Quinlan said he's not aware of a recommended ratio of coordinator to participants, in comparing with other counties, he feels an 80 percent position in the acceptable ballpark. Rongen wears many hats as the coordinator, including overseeing the volunteer base, planning programs, distributing news items to the media, traveling extensively throughout the county and state and, of course, working with kids of all ages.
“If you don’t have that strong county 4-H leadership, it makes a difference in getting volunteers,” said Affeldt. “The program wouldn't survive without them.”
Terrill Bradford, from the U of M, Crookston Equine Department, told the board how 4-H has played a big part in many of her students' lives.
“The kids coming in with 4-H backgrounds are leaders. The have proven they can step forward. They make things happen,” she said. “And their involvement in 4-H doesn't quit. 4-H really does make a lifetime difference in those kids.”
She added that there are a number of local people with degrees, especially from UMC, who might be interested in the job.
“We need to have these activities, or we'll pay for it at a county level later down the road,” Buness said in summing up the importance of 4-H.
The county's contract with Extension runs through Dec. 31, and commissioners have said they would revisit all of the county's Extension programming before then.
Crookston, Minn. —
